deaf
Americanadjective
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partially or wholly lacking or deprived of the sense of hearing; unable to hear.
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refusing to listen, heed, or be persuaded; unreasonable or unyielding.
deaf to all advice.
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Deaf, of or relating to the Deaf or their cultural community.
Deaf customs and values.
noun
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Deaf persons collectively (usually preceded bythe ).
social services for the Deaf.
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Usually the Deaf Deaf persons who identify themselves as members of a community composed of Deaf persons and others who share in their culture.
adjective
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partially or totally unable to hear
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( as collective noun ; preceded by the ) See also tone-deaf
the deaf
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refusing to heed
deaf to the cries of the hungry
Pronunciation
Deaf is usually pronounced , with the vowel of left. In uneducated speech the dialectal pronunciation , to rhyme with leaf, is still heard occasionally, but it is increasingly rare.
Other Word Forms
- deafly adverb
- deafness noun
- half-deaf adjective
- nondeaf adjective
- nondeafly adverb
- nondeafness noun
- quasi-deaf adjective
- quasi-deafly adverb
- semideaf adjective
- semideafness noun
- undeaf adjective
Etymology
Origin of deaf
First recorded before 900; Middle English deef, Old English dēaf; cognate with Middle Low German dōf, Dutch doof, Old High German toub
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Statements from Gulf capitals that have emphasized their noninvolvement in the U.S.-Israeli military campaign have fallen on deaf ears.
From Salon
His calls for help in securing the Strait of Hormuz have fallen on deaf ears.
From Barron's
His calls for help in securing the Strait of Hormuz have fallen on deaf ears.
From Barron's
But the school board was deaf to reason.
From Literature
The little boy was deaf and rarely left his mother's side.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
